Have you ever used a database, where you would lookup a row by using a key field?
Have you ever bought anything, and seen a barcode with a number on it, which can be used to look up what the item is, including a long-form description or price?
Have you ever used a speed-dial button, or looked up a phone number by entering a name into a device?
If so, then you've seen some of the many uses of a lookup table. It's a pretty standard thing, I think that squarely falls into the definition of "prior use", but somehow our Patent office has determined that IBM now owns the patented rights to use such a table to look up the meaning of Internet Shorthand such as "OMG" or "WTF" or "LOL"...
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,640,233.PN.&OS=PN/7,640,233&RS=PN/7,640,233Yes, that's right.. If you happen to use a database to convert "LOL" to "Laughing Out Loud", you are infringing on IBM's patent...
The Patent office is SOOO out of control, and COME ON IBM.. Get off your butt and invent something like you used to do.. You can do better than that!!
-Steve
